Three Reasons to Be a Database Administrator

It pays - The salaries are higher than they used to be, and there are great growth opportunities. U.S. News & World Report ranks the DBA position as the sixth-best technology job. This is due in no small part to the healthy salary, and the job offers big opportunities for advancement and salary increases.

Growing Opportunities - Job opportunities are growing, and that’s not going to change in the near future. Data is growing exponentially, and someone has to administer those databases to keep everything clean and accessible. That spells good news for DBAs. By 2024, 13,400 new DBA positions will need to be filled.

Job Security - It’s a complex job, so even as some companies cut positions jobs; everyone will want to retain great data talent. And, the DBA work is intellectually stimulating and challenging. The routine work is drying up; the new problem-solving work is getting exciting. The job requires not only technical know-how but also creativity and critical thinking skills. DBAs make decisions that can affect business operations of the entire company.

We currently have positions open. Here’s an example:

This role is a full-time position actively participates in supporting critical production issues, working among various teams within engineering to support and maintain databases, database code and processes, contributing to database review, designing, development, and implementation. Core Functions: Analyze, plan, develop, deploy, and manage critical production systems by performing database administration activities for all environments. Work effectively with team leads, product owners, and application developers to define & clarify user requirements, assignment priorities, perform analysis, and develop robust & maintainable database solutions meeting business requirements. Understand and apply the advance principles of entity relationship model design, good practices in determining appropriate data types, index management, data management, and data security. Develop ad-hoc queries and reports on demand with short turnaround times as determined by business priorities. Provide support to troubleshoot and resolve technical & performance issues in production environment. Review the database designs, code, and test plans of developers and provide recommendations for improvement or optimizations. 

And, thanks to our millennial team members...

We’ve embraced a more millennial-friendly culture here, so we can include the hearts and minds of today’s great people. You’ll find more food and drinks in the offices, health & wellness programs, sports teams (sometimes volleyball, softball or soccer), holiday events (Halloween contests, potlucks and parties). Your colleagues are dressed casually, and we’ve sourced discounts at health clubs, movies theaters, cultural events, and even apartments in some areas. ...more to come. 

Millenials or not, the whole team appreciates the more significant elements of the CaseStack culture that have seen the Company recognized as a "Best Places to Work" in two states for over five years running. The organization is known for:

• Freedom to be creative, take initiative and make things happen
• Direct access to company executives regardless of title
• Employee feedback surveys (that actually implement suggestions)
• Transparency and open communication
• Freedom to share opinion and respect for differing opinions
• Mentorship to grow and improve with a “never stop learning” mentality
• Encouragement and feedback
• Family atmosphere that feels more like home than work
• Ability to be part of decision-making processes
• Dedication to educating employees
• Support of entrepreneurial efforts and outside projects
• Challenging and rewarding work
• Fun work environment

It may sound unusual, but the whole team should thank millennials. When CaseStack started in Santa Monica in early 2000, it sought to replicate the usual large-company environment. After all, although CaseStack was always a highly tech-enabled company, it was still in a staid vertical (i.e. Supply Chain Management). 

Fast-forward to now, and times have changed. CaseStack has embraced its tech-centric and people-centric culture. Now that we are larger, we don't need to act large. We need to foster the entrepreneurial, can-do, merit-based attitude that got us here. None of it would be remotely possible without the pioneers who worked as early-CaseStack led changes in the industry. But, more recently, the millennials are shaking up the place.

Thanks to the early pioneers at the Company, everyone has a strong set of typical corporate benefits, but the new generation isn't wowed by that stuff. They are interested in how the culture of a business speaks to them. They've grown up with a startup mentality and embrace iteration and even fast-failure that leads to learning and results. They understand and embrace collaborative technologies. And, what looks like impatience translates into a demand for quick organizational action. More important, millennials are a driving force towards significant, scalable, and lasting social change that will benefit everyone, whether it’s about the environment, socioeconomic diversity, or just a healthier work-life integration.

Dan is the President and CEO of CaseStack, Advisory Director to SupplyPike, and the author of Collaborate: The Art of We. You can check out Dan's Instagram.